2018 TNAQ June Invite
- June 15-17, 2018
- Knoxville, Tennessee
- Allan Jones Aquatic Center
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
- Live Results
Tennessee’s Erika Brown, who’s coming off a breakout NCAA campaign with the Volunteers as a sophomore, put the country on notice over the weekend with some incredible swims at the 2018 TNAQ June Invite. After earning NCAA All-American status in all three of her individual events in March, including a pair of runner-up finishes in the 50 free and 100 fly, she threw down six long course bests and is now a major contender for a spot on this summer’s Pan Pac team.
In her primary event, the 100 fly, Brown had already gone a best time this long course season, having gone 1:00.13 at the Atlanta Classic. She dipped below the 1:00-barrier twice this weekend, clocking 59.77 in prelims before getting down to 59.15 in the final. The 19-year-old is now the 10th fastest American in the event this year.
Perhaps even more impressively, Brown knocked off 1.72 seconds from her 100 free best time, improving her 56.24 from the 2014 Junior Nats all the way down to 54.52. That swim puts her 5th among Americans this year, and moves her into the conversation to be on the 400 free relay moving forward at major international meets.
She also crushed big bests in the 50 free and fly, going 25.21 in the 50 free (8th among Americans) and 26.64 in a 50 fly time trial (5th among Americans). She also swam prelim bests in the 100 back (1:02.36) and 200 fly (2:18.44) before scratching the final.
OTHER NOTABLE RESULTS
- Tennessee’s Kyle Decoursey had an impressive showing at the meet, winning both the 50 and 100 freestyle. In the 50, he dropped his PB by two tenths in 22.41, while he tied his all-time best in the 100 in a time of 49.66.
- South African Ryan Coetzee won the 100 fly in 52.84, less than three tenths off his lifetime best (52.57), and was just a tenth off his PB to take 2nd to Decoursey in the 100 free (50.55).
- Meghan Small picked up three wins on the women’s side, tying her with Brown, taking the 200 IM (2:16.20), 400 free (4:22.68) and 200 free (2:04.40).
- Joey Reilman swam three season best times, with two of them coming in the 100 and 200 back. He moved into 14th among Americans in the 100 (55.78) and 6th in the 200 (2:00.04). His third came in the 200 free, where he won the event in 1:52.92.
Do it when it matters. Let’s see what happens at a real meet when pressure is on.
So true. She’s swum some great times in the college season, but LCM is harder.
The USA could use some depth in the butterfly. So, I’ll root for Erika B. to “do it when it matters” in the Big Meet this summer.
Love your optimism.
I feel like she has – 2 second place finishes at NCAAs this year.
Maybe. But she was allegedly unshaved and not fully tapered for SEC’s and swam significantly slower at NCAA’s.
Well, I guess Ledecky choked, too, since her 400 IM was two seconds slower at NCAAs than at Pac10s. So at least Erika is in good company. Geez.
That may be true but who knows, maybe she got sick before or at NCAAs? Also there must have been some big time pressure on her to “win” at the big meet. In my book she is an amazing story and I maintain she will improve significantly to 2020 and win the gold in the 100m fly, get golds on the 400 FRR and 400 MEDR…at least. Heck give her some freakin credit. This summer will tell an interesting story as long as she improves her times at Nationals.
Erika Brown for Chancellor of UT in 2025!!! My pick as Olympic Gold Medalist in the 100 m fly in 2020.
Wow!! She’s exploding! She should be right in the thick of things when its time to make a bid for Tokyo.
She could make the relay this summer possibly get third in 100 fly